THE SOJOURNER AND CHAMPION TALES
by Denigoddess2001
Summary: Parts 1 and 2. Demetrius and Wren have bested Ares, god of war....or so they thought. Vengence has been a long time waiting and it's after Wren. Can Skylaris, dragon goddess of Gargoyles protect them from Ares' wrath. Will their new haven turn out to
1. Shadows Of The Night

  
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GARGOYLES AND HERCULES CHARACTERS. THEY BELONG TO DISNEY AND RENAISSANCE PICTURES. I DO NOT OWN THE SONG "SHADOWS OF THE NIGHT". THAT BELONGS TO THE COMPOSER MENTIONED BELOW. ALL ORIGINAL CHARACTERS BELONG TO DENIGODDESS2001. I WRITE THIS FOR LOVE AND NOT MONEY. PLEASE DO NOT SUE.  
  
07/04/01  
DENIGODDESS2001@AOL.COM  
  
Sojourner and Champion 1.0  
  
SHADOWS OF THE NIGHT  
  
  
We're running with the Shadows Of The Night  
So baby take my hand, you'll be all right  
Surrender all your dreams to me tonight  
They'll come true in the end  
You said - oh girl, it's a cold world  
When you keep it all to yourself  
I said you can't hide on the inside  
All the pain you've ever felt  
Ransom my heart, but baby don't look back  
Cause we got nobody else  
  
Chorus:  
  
We're running with the Shadows of the Night  
So baby take my hand, you'll be all right  
Surrender all your dreams to me tonight  
They'll come true in the end  
  
You know that sometimes, it feels like  
It's all moving way too fast  
Use every alibi and words you deny  
That love ain't meant to last  
You can cry tough baby, it's all right  
You can let me down easy, but not tonight  
  
We're running with the Shadows of the Night  
So baby take my hand, you'll be all right  
Surrender all your dreams to me tonight  
They'll come true in the end  
  
We're running with the Shadows of the Night  
So baby take my hand, you'll be all right  
Surrender all your dreams to me tonight  
They'll come true in the end  
  
And now the hands of time are standin' still  
Midnight angel, won't you say you will  
  
(Repeat Chorus Three Times)  
  
Song Written by: D. L. Byron  
  
Sojourner And Champion 1.0  
Shadows Of The Night  
  
She stared at the ebony warrior standing proud and regal in front of her. His flowing white hair cascaded down his back. His lavender eyes looked down at her with their vibrant intensity of devotion and passion. They stood together on the front porch of the Victorian mansion and watched the sun rise.  
  
"It's time." Demetrius watched the golden orb slowly rise above the horizon. "It has meant much to me that we shared this sunrise, Milady."  
  
"I can't disagree." Wren rested her head on his broad, powerful chest. His arms came about her and held her closely. She heard the strong drumming of his heartbeat within his chest. She knew they had shared days and nights together for approximately two months in Greece. Yet, here in 2005, he needed to regenerate. He needed to assume the natural order.  
  
"Until twilight descends, I shall dream of you." His hand came to rest upon the seashell necklace of Aphrodite. Given as a gift by Kevyn to Demetrius, Kevyn refused its return upon their arrival from Macedonia 500BC.   
  
Wren took a step back and watched with melancholy as Demetrius launched into a defensive position with wings unfurled. She watched his face become fierce and primal with fangs showing. His talons curled as if ready to cut through stone like melted butter. He assumed the classic protector pose. He dropped the necklace from his hand and let it fall to the ground. Within seconds, his skin lightened from ebony slate. Green flecks sparkled in the morning sun. He became solid Kiarite, a rare metal alloy unlike anything else on the planet. It was invulnerable and unshatterable.  
  
"Sleep well, Dem." She planted a kiss on the cheek of the stone Gargoyle. It seemed strange that he stood as stone at ten o'clock in the morning. She picked up the golden seashell from the ground and held it in her hand. It was still warm from being against his skin. She clasped it tightly and made her way into the house.  
  
The back garden looked lovely with the colorful multitude of blooming flowers. Day lilies and wildflowers danced in the early morning breeze. Wren looked over the hills of her Summerlands estate and simply became one with the glorious moment. Sunlight brightened the meadow rolling behind her Victorian home. A creek flowed into a small lake in the middle of the glen below her. She considered it Divine Providence when she had found five acres of paradise.  
  
[What do we do now, Dem?] Heart full of despair and eyes soulful, she returned her attention the ferocious warrior posed on her patio. [I never meant to fall for you or kiss you. I never thought you'd come to the States with me. Heaven only knows what happened to my good sense when we slept together.... Made love.] She corrected herself.  
  
[Now what?] Summer was coming to a close and she knew that autumn would announce its appearance soon. She knew that there was a mating moon in October and Demetrius wanted to return to Caledon for it. All through their adventures in Ainran and Greece, she'd managed to put him off regarding the mate bonding ceremony. Reluctantly, he agreed to be her lover while she took the time she needed to consider the concept of being mated to him.  
  
[So, we're back to square one...AGAIN.] She wanted him. She needed him. She loved Demetrius until she required a second heart to contain all the emotion that flowed from her. Yet, Wren, longed for things he never had the ability to give her; husband, children, homelife. He consumed her nights while work occupied her days.  
  
[I'm perfectly happy with the way things are.] She dared to admit to herself. [We have a house, we have our time together. Why muck it up with a mating ceremony?]  
  
She knew she wanted the marriage, the house, the 2.5 kids, the double-car garage and the family dog. Demetrius didn't fit into that plan. Yet, life without the ebony warrior and his romantic devotion seemed rather bland and desolate. The world wasn't ready for gargoyles.   
  
[NOT THIS WORLD, ANYWAY.]  
  
"Not this world..." She spoke the words aloud. "I can't change the world, but who says we can't CHANGE worlds..." Wren's eyes brightened with enlightenment as a new possibility made itself known to her. With that, she turned abruptly about and rushed into the mansion.   
  
She ran through the kitchen at breakneck speed as a new possibility formed in her mind. Hope filled her heart as she hurried up the staircase to the second story of her mansion. She flung open the door to her room and headed with new determination to her closet. The door flew open and Wren pulled out a foot trunk purchased at Wal-Mart. With one quick green glowing snap of the fingers, the lock flew open. She pulled away the sweaters meticulously folded for storage and rummaged madly until she found her "Greek wares." She set the armor on the floor beside her along with her hunting dagger. Finally, she found the one thing that made her heart leap with hopeful joy.  
  
"Okay, let's give this baby another examination." Her eyes gleamed in anticipation as her searching hands grasped the Annulus of Avalon. Wren had placed it in the trunk upon their return from Ancient Greece the month prior. She knew better than to read aloud the Latin incantation engraved upon the circlet's surface.  
  
"I need a clue, any clue on how to use this thing more precisely." Hazel eyes scrutinized every square millimeter of the bladed ring. The dark gray metal gleamed brightly in the morning sunlight streaming through the window. The luminescent sapphires now mixed freely with a piece or two of green quartz because of Kevyn Xorbo, Wren's former employer. She ran her fingers carefully over the Celtic flourishes and the Latin script.  
  
"Damn, damn, damn!" She muttered in pure frustration, there has to be something here. She knew getting answers from Atalanta would be next to impossible. Atalanta played the spurned female very well. Demtrius' rejection of her at the last mating mood had caused a coldness to ferment. Wren and the Dame finally had reached an understanding, but there was still no love lost in Atalanta's eyes.  
  
"There must be a way to know how to use this damn thing more precisely." She racked her brain on what she knew of it. Atalanta crafted the Annulus for the Magus in 980. It was enchanted with his magick. The sapphires were said to be the tears of Tacitus. She knew the green stones to be two of the Chronos fragments given to her by Xorbo.   
  
"I want to know more about the Annulus of Avalon." She said to the morning wind.  
  
"What does your mind scheme, Wren Elizabeth Summers?" A familiar voice asked her.  
  
Instinct overwhelmed her body as she crouched in a defensive position with weapon ready in hand. She let her eyes scan the room for the intruder and saw nothing. "Show yourself!"  
  
A small gold and verdant dragon no longer than her arm curled comfortablely on her bed. Wren's anger melted away to joy as she recognized the diminutive version of the Dragon goddess of the Gargoyles. Her scowl became a smile as she watched two bright citrine eyes stared at her. "You look like my pet iguana I had as a child."  
  
"You're mind is devising a plan, I can smell it." The warm, grandmotherly voice teased her.  
  
"Lady Skylaris, it is good to see you." Wren fell to her knees beside her bed. "So much has happened since we saw each other last."  
  
"I know. I have kept watch over you. You have made great strides, my daughter."  
  
"Thank you." Wren felt a burst of joy as the sleek reptile flicked its tongue gently at her forehead.  
  
"You've also made grave errors." Was the stern reply.  
  
Her burst of joy died at those words. "I know. I shouldn't have slept with Demetrius, goddess. I never meant to... it's just that my wild and crazy hopes took over my good judgment and now-"  
  
"That's not what I've meant." She reassured the young woman. "You've finally made yourself receptive to receive the love of a heart that beats in your name. However, you have made a powerful enemy in Ares, god of war. He hunts you now as we speak. He wants revenge and he wants your annulus."  
  
"Oh no." Wren's worst nightmares had just come to life.  
  
"Twenty-five hundred years he has looked for you and now he is close." The sleek dragon stood up on her hind legs. "My magick is much weaker in this realm. My blessing protects you but he will eventually find you."  
  
"He'll hurt Demetrius." Her first thought became words. "He'll hurt me."  
  
"Yes, and that is why I am here, daughter." Skylaris lept from the bed and landed near Wren. She effortlessly scurried up Wren's arms and wrapped herself around the young woman's neck. Wren couldn't help but giggle at the ticklish sensation of the dragon's feet scraping lightly against her skin. "You're thoughts about other realms where Gargoyles are accepted is quite close to fact."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Aye, lass." The dragon's tongue flicked her ear. "You know what the Annulus can do, yet, you've no knowledge of how to harness its abilities. Only the Magus, Oberon and myself know how to make the annulus do it's possessor's bidding. This was never meant to be human knowledge."  
  
"Then why are you telling me?"  
  
"Because you are the first human to bloodbond to the annulus and my son loves you dearly." The dragon whispered.  
  
"Demetrius is your son?" Wren recalled hearing Skylaris make references to him in conversations past. She thought it was merely a form of affection in the same way Skylaris addressed her as 'my daughter.'  
  
"He is my very own hatchling." She confirmed Wren's suspicions. "That is another tale for another time. Now, we must contend with Ares and his potential ability to harm you. To use the annulus, you must know the incantations that go with it."  
  
"I'm no sorcerer. Magick is not my forte."  
  
"You are the descendant of Fortuna, goddess of luck. Serendipity will make it your forte." Skylaris told her.   
  
"Ares mentioned Fortuna. He said that he could smell her on me."  
  
"He can smell the magick of luck in your blood. But that's again another tale for another time. Do you remember how you arrived here from Greece?"  
  
"Certainly." Wren nodded eagerly. "In sheer desperation, I just did like Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz and said 'there's no place like home.'"  
  
"Visualization is the key in the operation of annulus. If you can imagine it, most likely there is a reflective realm that matches it. However, you may not find a dimension exactly as what your heart longed to see." The Dragon's tail wrapped around the annulus and held it eye-level before Wren. "Listen well, for time is short. I sense Ares is close to finding you before the sunsets. I shall teach you what I can about magick."  
  
The rest of the morning was spent with Wren listening to the goddess explaining about the foundations of Magick. Rhyme and cadence were the essence of incantation. Gestures added focus to the ritual being cast. Components aided in manipulating the natural forces at work in the world. Certain days and times were more energy-laden for magick than others. Inherent magick was rare within humans, though not unknown  
  
Inherent magick was usually reserved for immortals. With Wren's unique bloodlines, she was somewhat an exception. While she never would have the abilities of the Fae or the Kiari, she possessed the ability to minutely alter the reality around her. If harness wisely, it acted as a catalyst for magick and required no focal point other than her own thoughts and wishes.   
  
"With concentration and probability manipulation, my dear, you can awaken the magick of the annulus to do your bidding." The dragon explained as noon approached. Her tail twitched nervously. "He's found the wormhole at the museum between ancient Greece and this time. Ares is following your trail. He'll be here within the hour."  
  
"How can he find me?" Wren shrugged helplessly.   
  
"Your particular energies have a very inimitable signature. Take only what you need, you have only a few minutes to ready yourself before he arrives."  
  
"I have to leave now?" The shriek of realization filled the bedroom. "Now without Demetrius."  
  
"No, you won't leave without him. Now, gather what you need, child and be quick about it."  
  
Wren dashed to the jewelry box and grabbed the golden seashell that had been a gift from Kevyn. She rushed downstairs and returned shortly with her leather coat and her purse. She grabbed a chair and placed it under the ceiling fan in her room. She stood on it and reached for the very top and retrieved a rather large wad of cash. Wren then changed clothes. Donning comfortable jeans, shirt, and tennis shoes, she felt more prepared for the upcoming trip. On impulse, she grabbed her utility knife that her father had given her on her eleventh birthday.  
  
She heard the wind howl outside her window. Wren peaked and screamed at the scene that met her eyes. Dark, gray clouds sped violently in the skies above her head. Trees whipped in the violent gust of wind. Rain pummeled the side of the house. Lightning crashed in the glen behind the house.  
  
"He's close isn't he?" She managed to whisper hoarsely.  
  
"Yes, Wren. I can't hide you much longer from his search. You must get to Demetrius." Skylaris urged her. Wren grabbed the figurine that Demetrius had given her recently. It was a small statuette of a Siamese cat with bat's wings.  
  
"I'm ready." She nodded curtly to the goddess. She flew down the stairs and through the kitchen until she found her way to Demetrius' side. Rain plastered her chestnut locks to her wet skin. She felt the coldness' of Ares rage in every burst of wind. She knew that he meant to take her life that day if he found her.  
  
"Go now!" Skylaris screamed above the howling of the wind. "I will distract him as best I can. He won't be able to follow once you've gone."  
  
Wren knew that she didn't have the physical strength to make the trip with a statue. She slipped the golden seashell around the strong neck of the crouching gargoyle. She saw the fractures appear in the surface of the slate and emerald stone. She knew well enough to step back as fractures in the stone cause fragments to form. She saw him stretch and then roar as he shook himself free of the shards. The surprise on his face was evident as rain pelted his thick skin.  
  
"Wren? What is wrong?" He bellowed as her fear touched his empathic senses.  
  
"ARES IS COMING." She screamed above the thunder and wind. "We have to go."  
  
He nodded in understanding. Armed only with her purse, it's contents, and her annulus, Wren hopped into the waiting embrace of her Gargoyle lover. She saw from the south the face of Ares forming in the clouds. He had found them. She stifled the urge to scream from utter fright. She forced herself to recite the incantation engraved upon the Annulus.  
  
"Advent of a shadow realm   
cast by my hand this weapon made  
unloose this Magick unbolt this gate  
to a reflective realm do lead the way.  
  
"Take us to where Gargoyles be  
similar in stock and demeanor as we  
take us to where they are respected   
to a dimension we shall be protected.  
  
Annulus I call upon they ways  
Take Demetrius and I to that special place  
Where humans are not frightened night or day of  
Talon, fang, tail, wing and exotic face."  
  
A mist of mint and saffron rose from the ashes beneath the forge and swirled around Wren. The Annulus radiated brilliance akin to the glow of a Gargoyle's stare. A brilliant column of gold light brightened so much that she closed her eyes so not to be blinded. There was a loud clap of something as thunder and then they were met by blackness. She recognized a hoarse cry of defeat as the darkness surrounded them.  
  
The Mutant and the Gargoyle had bested Ares again and he was not happy.  
  
Wren smiled when she heard a deafening roar of a mother defending her son. Ares would find Skylaris a very formidable opponent. The young woman sent a prayer to her Divine Providence to look after Skylaris in her desire to protect them. She hoped that she would find victory without peril to herself.  
  
The majestic gargoyle wrapped his tail securely around Wren's waist. His arms held her close to him while his large silver and jet wings enveloped them in a protective cocoon against the turmoil of the dimensional slipstream. It seemed akin to a ride in a tunnel or a roller coaster ride as they moved rapidly through the corridor of bright vibrant hues and images.   
  
Wren cowered in Demetrius' arms as he navigated the wormhole that was the doorway between the reflective realms. She feared that her beloved warrior might suffer injury in the wild chaos of the tunnel as it tossed them about.  
Her thoughts were abruptly jarred as he told her to tuck her head into his chest.  
  
Wren felt them impact had and fast against an immovable surface. They had landed this way before in the parking lot of the Linoma Bluffs Museum just a month ago. This time, she knew to hold on to Demetrius and let him guide their fall. She let forth a burst of luckmagick to aid him in a safe landing. The emerald glow surrounded the entire form of the ebony warrior and seemed to almost cushion their impact.  
  
For several seconds, Wren lay secure and unharmed in his triple embrace of tail, arms, and wings. She fought to catch her breath as she gripped the annulus inside her jacket. She felt Demetrius bring them into a sitting position and he folded his wings about him in a mantle of velvet.  
  
"Demetrius, are you all right?" She asked urgently.  
  
"I am well, Milady. And you?" His deep voice soothed her frazzled, disoriented nerves.  
  
"Unhurt."  
  
"Thank the Dragon." He planted a quick peck on her brow.   
  
Wren looked around and surveyed the scenery. She saw a night skyline that seemed vaguely familiar. She saw the Empire state building, the Statue of Liberty, and the Xanatos Castle standing stark against the neon skyline.  
  
[Xanatos castle?]  
  
  
To be continued...  
  
  
  
  



	2. In The Air Tonight

Denigoddess2001@aol.com  
07/04/01  
  
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GARGOYLES. THEY BELONG TO DISNEY. I DO NOT OWN X-MEN. THEY BELONG TO MARVEL. "IN THE AIR TONIGHT" BELONGS TO PHIL COLLINS. NO INFRINGEMENT IS INTENDED. I DO THIS BECAUSE I LOVE TO WRITE, I RECEIVE NO MONEY. I AM BROKE. PLEASE DO NOT SUE.  
  
Sojourn and Champion 2.0  
  
In The Air Tonight  
  
  
I can feel it coming in the air tonight, Oh Lord  
I've been waiting for this moment, all my life, Oh Lord  
Can you feel it coming in the air tonight, Oh Lord, Oh Lord  
  
Well, if you told me you were drowning  
I would not lend a hand  
I've seen your face before my friend  
But I don't know if you know who I am  
Well, I was there and I saw what you did  
I saw it with my own two eyes  
So you can wipe off the grin, I know where you've been  
It's all been a pack of lies  
  
And I can feel it coming in the air tonight, Oh Lord  
I've been waiting for this moment for all my life, Oh Lord  
I can feel it in the air tonight, Oh Lord, Oh Lord  
And I've been waiting for this moment all my life, Oh Lord, Oh Lord  
  
Well I remember, I remember don't worry  
How could I ever forget, it's the first time, the last time we ever met  
But I know the reason why you keep your silence up, no you don't fool me  
The hurt doesn't show; but the pain still grows  
It's no stranger to you or me  
  
And I can feel it coming in the air tonight, Oh Lord...  
  
Wren slowly sat up and thoroughly assessed her surroundings. Green grass cushioned their rather rough-and-tumble landing. Tall trees dotted the landscape. A bright golden haze loomed over the horizon and mingled with the smell of the city. Wren closed her eyes and attempted to listen beyond the chirping crickets and the roar of car engines. She attuned herself to the din beyond the sounds.  
  
"We're in Central Park." She informed the towering ebony warrior as he helped her to her feet. "I just don' know if this is the New York City we know."  
  
"Did you not wish for a place where Gargoyles are respected and accepted?" Demetrius carefully ran his talons slowly over her. "Are you injured, Milady? I'm just a bit bumped and bruise with no worse for wear."  
  
"I am glad of it." His deep voice always carried a heavy Scottish inflection when he felt deep emotion. "Are you well to travel?"  
  
"I am." She looked skywards. "You haven't flown in awhile."  
  
"You've not flown with me for many moons, Wren." He said softly. "I long to feel your warmth as we glide on the currents."  
  
Wren blushed furiously as she understood his reference. He had shared with her many aspects of Gargoyle mating customs. She knew that he longed to return to the clan and have Goliath recognize them as mates before his rookery mates. Wren knew that he held such traditions in high regard. Demetrius yearned to soar in the skies with her in a mating flight. Fear of falling crept into her reflections of a future with her paramour. Exchanges of tokens, clan gatherings, breeding moons and mating flights seemed such a far cry from engagement rings, weddings, honeymoons, and wedding night jitters.  
  
"Demetrius, you understand my emotions for you are love and passion. I'm still dealing with our differences and trying to reconcile them." Wren felt guilty of being inflexible and dogmatic when she spoke her inner thoughts. "Please, understand, that I need time and I may never be able to join with you in that aspect."  
  
"Wren, fret not over such things. Love is not an agenda of dates and timetables. It blossoms of its own volition when it is right. I am a Gargoyle. I know how to wait." He leisurely brought his lips to hers. The first contact of his kiss sent ripples of warmth through her. Wren moaned softly and snaked her arms around his neck. Demetrius growled with pure Gargoyle gratification. He lifted her easily to better deepen their kiss. Every yielding curve pressed heatedly against Demetrius' solid contours. His scent brought giddiness to her bordering on mania. His tasted of cool mint and spice, cinnamon and chocolate.   
  
She felt drenched, as he knew her intimately with that tender exploration. His essence cloaked her in silken veils of ardor and devotion. His fervor teased her senses and restrained taunted her need. With each moon, his scent became more familiar to her. She guessed it part of their empathic joining. Right now, it told her that he was a minute away from stripping away his kilt and loving her in the grass bathed only in moonlight.  
  
"Whoa, there! Let's take it easy." She panted. Somehow she found the will within her to withdraw from his sensually maddening seduction. "Damn, you get me every time with that kiss."  
  
She called that primal physical and psychic connection during their kisses enrapturement. It filled her with a complete sense of joy and elation she never otherwise knew. His touch removed doubt and brought utter lunacy to her naturally ordered mind. When Demetrius kissed her, Wren would have walked gladly over hot coals for him.   
  
"Milady, know that my love is everlasting. It is boundless. It is fervent and steadfast. If my kisses will assure you of my faithfulness and earnestness, then I shall kiss you well until stars reign as fire from the heaven." His violent orbs burned brightly in the darkness with his passionate declaration. He placed his hand to his rapidly beating heart. "I am your most humble servant and devoted champion."  
  
"I've never doubted that. I doubt myself." She found the courage to admit her unspoken fear for the first time. "I don't know if I can feel as much or as deeply as you do."  
  
"The empathic sight given to my clan allows me to know your heart. You love me and that is enough for me to know." He planted a chaste kiss on her brow. "We need to take to the air to learn more of this place."  
  
"Help! Somebody please help me." A voice cried out in the night. Two heads snapped in the direction of the plea. Wren saw two dark clad assailants drag a runner from the jogging path. The woman's screams tore at Wren's heart.   
  
[Who knows what they have in mind!] Wren hit the ground running fast and hard in the direction of the woman's attackers. She heard footsteps behind her and knew that Demetrius had dropped to all fours. He sped swiftly past her and used his powerful legs to propel himself over the hedge and into the bushes where the attackers had the jogger.  
  
She watched the woman scramble from under one of the bushes and into the night. Wren watched her and she seemed uninjured. Then, a gunshot brought her attention back to the mess of arms, legs, wings and tail tumbling about in the bushes.  
  
"Demetrius!" Came her panicked cry. Wren watched one of the attacker's hand rise upward with gun ready to fire. Wren found her annulus and focused her energy into the weapon as it cut through the midnight air. Its aim was true as it found its mark and knocked the weapon from the thug's hand. Demetrius rose to standing and towered over the cowering thug.  
  
"I detest firearms." His ominous statement startled the thug. The Gargoyle picked up the gun and crumbled it in his powerful grasp. He picked up the hapless man and flung him into the nearest tree. His clothing caught on a sturdy branch and he hung twenty feet in the air with arms and legs helplessly flailing.  
  
"Oooh, good shot!" Wren cheered. She watched the second one attempted to escape the champion's notice and skulk away into the night. "I don't think so, Mister."  
  
She unleashed the power of the Annulus as it soared toward her targets running feet. Impacting him in the back of the leg, the thug fell quickly to the ground facedown. The circlet came back around and returned immediately to Wren's grasp. She watched him rise in a second endeavor to flight. Wren's hand flamed with a vibrant green halo. Somehow a tree branch found it's way in front of his feet and he fell facedown again to the ground. He remained still as Wren cautiously approached him. After a quick examination, she realized him to be unconscious.   
  
"Demetrius?" She called out softly.  
  
"I am here." He rose to his feet. He reminded her of a tomcat coming from an alley fight. He shook away the leaves and grass that clung to him. He raked his talons through his thick white mane. He smoothed the wrinkles out of his kilt and folded his wings about him.  
  
[Some things never change. The sun rises in the east, the sky is blue, and Demetrius primps until he's physical perfection.]  
  
"Should we not call the police?" He cast her a worried glance.  
  
"No, I don't think so." Wren didn't want to admit that she was frightened of this strange place. "I want to know more about where we are first before we make a spectacle of ourselves. Let's just get out of here."  
  
They stayed in the shadows as best they could. They finally found a brownstone that Demetrius was able to climb. Wren tightly shut her eyes and held on for dear life as his talons embedded themselves in the granite. She knew his ascent was an effortless exercise for him. Yet, it was a test of faith for her. She hated heights.  
  
"Milady, look only to my eyes and find solace there." His calm words soothed her. He scooped her in his powerful arms and gracefully dove from the roof of the brownstone. She felt his wings catch the updraft as they soared upwards. "Where shall we go?"  
  
"Good question." She racked her brain for locations suitable for hiding them. Only one came to mind. "I don't know about things here. Let's see what the condition is of St. Damien's cathedral."  
  
Throughout their flight, she refused to look down. She used the tops of skyscrapers to direct Demetrius to the abandoned church. To their relief, they found the church deserted. He soared in through the bell tower and landed on the floor. She slipped and surveyed the area. She noticed no holes in the roof and no pigeon droppings. Gargoyles hated pigeons. Demetrius was always particular about his roosting perch.  
  
"Stay here, I shall scout the area." She watched as the Gargoyle investigated the rest of the cathedral. Shortly he returned and gave her is assessment. "There are no fresh scents here. This is truly a deserted place."  
  
"We can rest here tonight. I'll do some footwork and figure out when and where we are." She reached in her purse and checked her spare change. "I'm going to get us a newspaper and do some research."  
  
"You can not mean that you'll walk alone in this city?" Demetrius exclaimed.  
  
"Dem, I survived six battles in ancient Greece and having my ass kicked by the god of war. New York is a cake walk." She said with more bravado than she felt. "Take a load off your feet, kick back, and relax. I'll be back before sunrise with food and goodies. You might want to stone sleep. I don't have the money to feed us when you stay awake during the day. You eat three cows a day when you do that."  
  
"Dragonspeed, Love. May Her blessing follow you."  
  
"No, you stay put." She smirked as she found the stairs that led to the bottom levels of the cathedral.  
  
  
  
A newspaper, a cup of coffee at a nearby diner, and two hours later she still sat stupefied in her booth. It was New York City all right, but not the one she knew. It wasn't June 2005, it was June 1996. There were no X-Men, Mutants, and friends of Humanity. She tried to place a call to the Xavier Institute and was told by the operator that the number belonged to a hardware store in Salem Center. There was no such listing.  
  
She sipped her coffee gingerly as she watched re-runs of a show called 'The Pack.' Her cup slipped from her trembling hand as she saw a face she knew well stare back at her from the television. She recognized the fiery mane of red hair and the teal tattoo. Fox was a television star in a reality-based show.  
  
"Saints preserve me." She whispered. She surmised that not were they only transported to a reflective realm mirroring their own. The duo also had jumped backwards in time; a consequence of the Tears of Tacitus and the Chronos Fragments being embedded in the annulus. "What do we do now?"  
  
There was only one solution, she needed to call Owen. Either as Owen or Puck, he'd know what to do and how to help them. She fumbled in her purse for thirty-five cents. She managed to keep her composure. Her trembling fingers dialed his home number and she said a prayer that his counterpart in this dimension shared the same number.  
  
"Hello?" Came a muffled reply from the other end of the line.  
  
"Owen?"  
  
"Ysss...whatdoyawant?" His words were slurred from his groggy state.  
  
"My name is Wren. I know you're Puck from Avalon and that you're Xanatos' majordomo. I know that Goliath and the clan resides in the castle." She shot out.  
  
"You have my attention." A cold, crisp voice chilled her soul. "Continue."  
  
"My name is Wren and I'm not from here." She explained. "I come from a place where Gargoyles are mistaken for beasts and I know that to be far from the truth. You might say that I'm chronologically displaced."  
  
"Why did you call here?"  
  
"Because, I know you to understand such things." She noticed the waitress at the counter suddenly avert her gaze. "There are too many ears paying attention to me. Can you meet with me?"  
  
"I will send a car for you." The British accent clipped. "Where are you?"  
  
"I know my way to the castle." She replied. "I'll meet you at the front lobby in an hour."  
  
She hung up the phone as the waitress turned away from her. She grabbed her coat and threw some money on the table to cover her bill. Wren walked briskly until a she was a safe distance from the diner. She focused her attention upon a clean cab to come down the block. She felt that familiar tingle in her hands as they began to glow in her pockets. Around the corner came her chariot.  
  
"TAXI!!" She said in a loud bellow that would have made Demetrius proud. She stepped in and took a seat.  
  
"Where to, lady?"  
  
"Eyrie Building."   
  
  
[I just pray that I haven't delivered us from the frying pan into the fire.]  
  
TO BE CONTINUED.....  



	3. Through The Never

Sojourner and Champion 3.0  
DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN GARGOYLES, XENA/ HERCULES, OR X-MEN. RESPECTIVELY, THESE BELONG TO DISNEY, RENAISSANCE PICTURES AND MARVEL COMICS. THE LYRICS OF "THROUGH THE NEVER" BELONG TO METALLICA. NO INFRINGEMENT IS INTENDED. I WRITE THIS STUFF FOR LOVE NOT MONEY. I AM BROKE. PLEASE DO NOT SUE.  
  
07/05/01  
Denigoddess2001@aol.com  
THROUGH THE NEVER  
  
  
Through The Never  
  
All that is, was and will be  
universe much too big to see  
  
time and space never ending  
disturbing thoughts, questions pending  
limitations of human understanding  
too quick to criticize  
obligation to survive  
we hunger to be alive  
  
all that is, ever  
ever was  
will be ever  
twisting  
turning  
through the never  
  
in the dark, see past our eyes  
pursuit of trhuth no matter where it lies  
  
gazing up to the breeze of the heavens  
on a quest, meaning, reason  
came to be, how it begun  
all alone in the family of the sun  
curiosity teasing everyone  
on our home, third stone from the sun  
  
all that is, ever  
ever was  
will be ever  
twisting  
turning  
through the never  
  
on through the never  
we must go  
on through the never  
out of the  
edge of forever  
we must go  
on through the never  
then ever comes  
  
all that is, ever  
ever was  
will be ever  
who we are  
ask forever  
twisting  
turning  
through the never  
  
never   
  
  
  
An urgent call from his second-in-command quickly roused David Xanatos from a sound sleep. Seldom did Owen Burnett's imperturbable temperament alter in appearance. Yet, tonight, his monotone inflection held hints of excitement and tension. David dressed rapidly and made his way to his office where he found Owen sitting with arms folded and a grim look on his features.  
  
"Mr. Xanatos, I apologize for disturbing you this time of night." Owen straightened his glasses.  
  
"Not a problem, Owen." David held his hand midair. His smile put his employee somewhat as ease. "What is it that has worked you into such a state of anxiety?"  
  
"I recently received a call from a young woman claiming to know about the Gargoyles." Owen brought forth a tape. "I have the conversation recorded here."  
  
"That's nothing unusual." David shrugged. "After the catastrophe with the DI-7 disinfectant and Demona's operation Clean Slate, everybody knows about Gargoyles."  
  
"That isn't all, Mr. Xanatos." Owen's grave reply captured the billionaire's attention. "She knows that I'm Puck and that the clan resides here at the Castle."  
  
"That could be a problem." David nodded. His brow furrowed with deliberation. "Where is she now?"  
  
"She is on her way here, Sir, to the Eyrie building." Owen replied. "I think we need to interrogate her."  
  
"Do you think she could be with the Quarrymen?"  
  
"Unlikely. If she knows of my true persona, then she is more attuned with the realm of the Fae." Owen's assessment made perfect sense to David.  
  
"When she arrives, take her to the interrogation room and hold her there until I arrive."  
  
"Understood, Sir." Owen nodded and turned to do the bidding.  
  
"Oh, and Owen?" David called after him.  
  
"Yes, Mr. Xanatos?"  
  
"For now, she is a guest and not a prisoner. We need to find out as much as possible. We need to know if she is a threat to the Gargoyles or my family." David gave him a stern look. "We need to know if she is a threat to you."  
  
"I understand."  
  
  
  
Wren arrived on the steps of the Eyrie building. Cab fare hadn't been inexpensive. She hoped the Dragon's blessing held strong in this dimension. She knew the stories of her employer long before his reformation in the late nineties. Her dimension's Owen had explained that David Xanatos had been a ruthless billionaire with his private agenda. He would do anything to further his own gains and used every opportunity available. He had honor, but his merciless approach made him a danger foe to be reckoned with if crossed.   
  
Two individuals dressed in burgundy blazers approached. One man was tall with nondescript brown hair and towered over her by at least a foot. The other was a woman who hit a multitude of muscles under her clothing. She noticed they each had earpieces with cords extending into the inside lapels of their blazers.  
  
"Miss, come with us please." The short state caused Wren's nerves to tense with nervous caution. She liked the situation less when each person none-to-gently took hold of her by her upper arms and briskly guided her into the building.  
  
The speedily guided her down a series of corridors until they came to the elevator. She tried to read their body language and they gave away nothing. They were cold, stoic golems sent to do the biddings of their billionaire master. She watched them press the 'basement' button on the elevator.   
Owen's office was on the 63rd floor. Xanatos' was on the 100th. Her outlook became grim when she remembered that the interrogation room was located in the third sub-level of the basement.   
  
"Where are we going?" She asked the woman next to her.  
  
"You'll know soon enough." That enigmatic reply carried a multitude of foreshadow.  
  
[Maybe this wasn't such a good idea.] Wren took stock of her chances of subduing the burgundy behemoth on her right and the woman to her left. Combat was not her strong suit. [Mouth shut, ears open, and eyes everywhere.]  
  
They escorted her down another corridor until she arrived at what she knew to be the interrogation room. They came to a door and punched in a series of numbers on the security keypad. She had been there only once when Owen had her take notes while he questioned a Quarryman once during her first year on the job. She barely concealed the shudder of dread that ran through her body as the couple led her into the room.  
  
"Make yourself comfortable." The man told her.  
  
"Thanks."  
  
The room itself was a deception to the eye. The walls were ivory with post-modern lithographs hanging on the walls. On one wall hung a mirror that she knew concealed an observation room. She looked in it, fixed a stray strand, waved and nodded. The various fixtures throughout the room contained various sensory devices that monitored heart rate, pulse, breathing, brainwaves and other vital functions. The only furniture in the room was a long conference table and several comfortable chairs.  
  
[They're going to make me wait.] She resigned herself to patience and found herself a seat.  
  
She turned her thoughts inward to all that she had left behind back home. She missed Linoma Bluffs and her job at the museum. She longed to hear the endless stream of questions posed to her by inquisitive Gargoyles asking about web browsers and television re-runs. She wanted her life back on Caledon Isle.  
  
[How do I get myself into these things? I must be mad!]  
  
"Wren?"  
  
"Mr. Burnett." She asked as calmly as bravado allowed her.  
  
"You say that as though you know me."  
  
"Yes." She simply replied. "Mr. Burnett, I know you are a conscientious and effective individual. You don't want your time wasted and I don't want to be poked and prodded."  
  
"You assume correctly."  
  
"You must be ill-at-ease if you have Xanatos Security greet me at the front door."  
  
"Merely a precaution."  
  
"That's classic Xanatos procedure." She replied. "I'll explain everything if you can tell me 'when' I am?"  
  
"When? As in date, month, time, and year?" The unflappable Owen Burnett's jaw dropped to the floor and his arched brows almost flew off his face. "  
  
  
"Yes, as I said, I'm rather chronologically displaced." She wanted to wipe that impenetrable mask of neutrality off his face. "You're really quite cute as Puck."  
  
"Uh...yes." He straightened his tie and followed.  
  
"It is June 11, 1996." He told her shortly. "What is your name?"  
  
"I am Wren Summers." She replied. "Before I answer any more questions...I need to know...Has Hunter's moon occurred here?"  
  
"Hunter's moon?" He asked. "Ms. Summers, I'm the one asking the questions here."  
  
"You don't trust me anymore than I trust you. I just needed to know the day and the year."  
  
"Oh, and why is that, Ms. Summers?" One blonde brow arched noticeably.  
  
"Because where I come from, I a very trusted Xanatos employee. I'm your majordomo. I act as researcher and linguist for you. Your counterpart has entrusted me with most of his secrets." Wren explained. "I also know that at one point in time, you and Mr. Xanatos were individuals of questionable ethics."  
  
"Really?" The skepticism dripped from his voice. "Why are you here?"  
  
"June 11th..that's shortly after Hunter's moon." She spoke her thoughts aloud.  
  
"What does that pertain to?" He asked the young woman.  
  
"Much. I've studied some quantum physics. Not much. Parallel dimensions often have similar scenarios and points within them. However, based upon my research, there are several vast differences compared to my home dimension."  
  
"Ms. Summers, you are wasting my time." His voice grew short. "Why did you call us and what do you know?"  
  
"Okay....Hunter's Moon ..reinstatement of Gargoyles to ancestral home, first appearance of the Quarrymen. Ring a bell?" She asked.  
  
"Mr. Burnett, I'm not trying to be cocky. Has Xanatos reinstated the Gargoyles to their ancestral home here?"  
  
"Again, I am the one asking the questions." She thought she saw a spark of mischief in his ice-blue eyes. "But, I'll play. Yes, they have been reinstated in their ancestral home."  
  
  
"He's renounced his feud with the clan and reformed because of his love for his wife and son?" She wanted further clarification.  
  
"Perhaps." Came the slow reply. She knew she had his immediate attention.  
  
"Goddess, let me know if he is to be trusted." Wren whispered to the air with fingers crossed. "I beg for your guidance."  
  
The annulus at her hip began to vibrate. Wren almost jumped onto the table at the sudden motion. She grabbed the Annulus and held it before her. The twin dragons engraved on it glowed. She looked through the whole at Owen and saw Puck instead. She pulled away the Annulus and saw Owen standing before her. She thought she saw one of the sapphire eyes wink at her and a nod from the dragon's head. Wren took that to be her sign.  
  
"Okay, that's what I needed to know." Wren replied. She looked at Owen to see if he were being duplicitous. His brow wasn't arched. That meant he was on the level. She breathed a rather large sigh of relief.  
  
She related her tale of how she came to work for Xanatos Enterpises as a linguist and researcher. She explained how she rose in the company and caught Owen's attention. He had made her head researcher in his research and development department. Her research covered everything from magick tomes to information for the Illuminati. Wren recounted how she had been brought in as educator and consultant to tutor a recently discovered clan in her home world to the ways of 21st century culture and technology. She explained that the clan was, in fact, the resurrected Clan Wyvern.  
  
Owen's eyes widened to the size of saucers as she told him her tale. He remained silent as she talked about how she came across the Annulus of Avalon and had helped transcribe the Tome of Tacitus. She told him that she and a Gargoyle had made an enemy of Ares, god of war. To escape his wrath, they had used the Annulus to escape their home dimension. Now, they needed to find a way to best Ares permanently.  
  
"That is quite the tale, Ms. Summers." Owen folded his arms.  
  
"And I've managed to live through it all." She sighed.   
  
"If you're telling the truth, Ms. Summers, then you have had some extraordinary ...adventures." His face remained expressionless.   
  
"I am telling the truth, Mr. Burnett." Wren bit her tongue in an effort to keep annoyance from flavoring her words.  
  
"And your dimension is one where the Gargoyles never found peace or acceptance?" His question reeked of doubt.  
  
"Unfortunately yes." Her smile died. "That is where the differences between these two dimensions begin. David Xanatos did end his feud with the Gargoyles, but the Quarrymen in my world joined up with an anti-mutant group known as the Friends of Humanity. They use fantastic technology to hunt Gargoyles and mutants alike. We're all seen as threats to Humanity."  
  
"You are a mutant?" He contemplated her statement.  
  
"Homo Sapien Superior is the proper term. I possess an extra chromosome that allows me abilities above and beyond other humans. Where I come from, there are 200,000 of us in the world and about 60 million of us worldwide. Only 600,000 worldwide possess any superhuman abilities. The rest are all just mutations in eye, hair, and skin color. But, because we're different, because we're not understood; we are hunted like animals!!" Wren's anger crept into her voice. By the time she finished she was nearly screaming at the top of her lungs.  
  
Owen Burnett pressed his finger to his earpiece. He paused briefly in silence then he nodded in direction of the mirror. "Our body moniters indicate you tell the truth as you know it. Our genetic scan indicates a chromosomal anomaly unknown to our scientists. There are also ionic disturbances about you that indicate time-travel. My more magical senses inform me that you've recently cast a smell of inherent magick. We believe you."  
  
  
"And I believe you. But, I have a bit more to tell you. I also need to ask your help."  
  
  
  
Wren left shortly before sunrise feeling little better than when she had arrived. While he found her account interesting, he made it obvious that it was of little relevance to him or David Xanatos. Without further proof, they refused to assist her in any way. She knew that if she had told them about Demetrius that would have changed everything. She refused to blame them. There were too many people who still held prejudice against Gargoyles.  
  
A car returned her to the diner and she knew Security would follow her. Wren cared little at that point. The only thing permeating her thoughts was returning to Demetrius before he entered stone sleep. The dimensional travel and the rough landing had left him in need of healing. She wanted to catch a few winks so that she could stand guard over him during daylight hours.  
  
She remained in darkness as she made her way to the cathedral. [What are we going to do now? What if Ares knows about the other Gargoyles? He may have changed history anyway during that twenty-five hundred year hiatus? What if he comes here?]  
  
She thought she noticed security loitering in the shadows a few hundred feet behind her. She gathered her thoughts and focused upon the natural energies around her. She called upon the forces of probability to act in her favor so that the security people would lose sight of her.  
  
She heard a long series of beeps. She grinned as a garbage truck backed into the alley between the diner and the cathedral. With that dose of good luck, she snuck through the hole in the chain link fence and made her way to a side door of the church. She checked to make sure the guards line-of-sight was blocked by the refuse truck. Wren felt her way through the dark and finally found the stairs that led to the bell tower.  
  
"Demetrius?" Whispered in the darkness of the tower. "Where are you?"  
  
Silence was the only reply that greeted her.  
  
"Demetrius?"  
  
Nothing. [This is not good!]  
  
"Demetrius?"  
  
She saw a large winged silhouette shadowed in the moonlight. She saw the long mane of thick argent tresses. She saw the glimmer of jewelry and the crimson glow of eyes meeting her. A powerful form stepped into the light. She noticed the ebony skin and the crimson eyes glowing brightly.  
  
[CRIMSON!!?]  
  
"No, not quite." Came a low chuckle.  
  
The Gargoyle standing before her had her lover's coloring but Goliath's voice and appearance. Goose bumps danced along her body as the Gargoyle advanced. She had never seen a Gargoyle such as this. He also held a very large laser rifle in his grasp.  
  
It was pointed at her.  
  
"Demetrius is rather indisposed at the moment, I fear." The Goliath Doppelganger smirked.   
  
"Who are you?" Wren found her tongue.  
  
"I am Thailog."  
  
TO BE CONTINUED...  



End file.
